Alternative Power?

[lintsniffer]

I don't remember reading anything about snake oil being used for it.

:huh:

 

[ravuya]

I don't remember reading anything about snake oil being used for it.

:huh:

​

http://www.answers.com/topic/snake-oil-1

 

[lintsniffer]

what can i say?

PWNED.

It was in the magazing Nuts & Volts. I don't think I still have the article though.

 

[bazuka]

Heh.. Couldn't resist.

I used to read nuts and volts as well, but I don't remember seeing anything about it. I think the mythbusters did something like that and found it didn't work. I don't remember exactly what happened though. I think you'd almost be better off with a small windmill.

 

[torpor]

alright then, so you need a 'few square feet of panel' .. wouldn't this also be handy for charging, say, my powerbook? whats wrong with that equation?

 

[ravuya]

alright then, so you need a 'few square feet of panel' .. wouldn't this also be handy for charging, say, my powerbook? whats wrong with that equation?

​

Apple has a couple of third-party solar charge kits on their website, FYI. I think they have some kind of transformer on them; I'm not an electrical engineer but I do know that the solar panelling is very expensive.

 

[bazuka]

alright then, so you need a 'few square feet of panel' .. wouldn't this also be handy for charging, say, my powerbook?  whats wrong with that equation?

​

Apple has a couple of third-party solar charge kits on their website, FYI. I think they have some kind of transformer on them; I'm not an electrical engineer but I do know that the solar panelling is very expensive.

​

Yes, you'd need a DC-DC transformer unless you connect the panels in series until you reach the voltage of the supplied power brick.